


Earned Escape

by di93



Series: Inquisitorial Enigma [24]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:00:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26571037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/di93/pseuds/di93
Summary: Kaaras has been wearing himself thin, and Dorian can't let it continue. He arranges a mini vacation for the Inquisitor and plans to fulfill his every whim.
Relationships: Male Adaar/Dorian Pavus, Male Inquisitor/Dorian Pavus
Series: Inquisitorial Enigma [24]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/310905
Comments: 7
Kudos: 27





	1. Adorned with Affection

Dorian’s mind was wandering. Again. 

He’d been trying perfect the theory of a new spell for weeks—an application of the research he’d done with Gereon, but with preferably less dire consequences—but he was having trouble keeping focused, and it was largely the fault of his inamorato who was hanging about the floor above the library in his usual spot. 

It wasn’t the man’s presence so much that had Dorian losing his focus—though the handsome, capable, _muscled_ man was plenty distracting all on his own—but rather his demeanor. 

Dorian could list off any number of signs of his poor mental and physical state: bags beneath his eyes, scruff that was bordering a full beard, hair that was falling out of its usual tidy knot, tense shoulders, and countless other tells. The Tal Vashoth did well hiding most of the signs when he knew others were watching, but while he was in the comfort of his favorite spot in Skyhold’s tower where none but the birds, a spymaster, a Tranquil and a certain Altus could see him, he was less cautious about maintaining his appearance. 

Usually, Dorian delighted in being the only one to be able to see the man who would be the inspiration for countless tales and legends and works of fiction. However, it became less delightful and more worrying when Kaaras ignored his own needs in favor of trekking across every far-reaching corner of the continent and throwing himself head-first (occasionally literally) into dangerous situations with little regard for his own health as long as he could do something even slightly helpful for someone else. 

It was an admirable trait, of course, and part of the reason Dorian felt like he was full to bursting with ridiculous sentiments every time he was alone with the man, but it was also worrying. 

Kaaras may have been able to save individuals with ease before the Conclave, but now he was saving individuals, armies, countries and the world all at once. Not only that, but the man was practicing reading and writing, learning to cast defensive magic, and figuring out how to navigate the impossible web of politics he’d become tangled in where he’d hardly even spoken to other people until mere months ago. No matter how capable he was, it was just too much. 

The man needed a break, and Dorian had been trying to get him to relax and take some time for himself for weeks to no avail. Some war table meeting would get called, or a noble’s fragile ego would have to be soothed, or an Inquisition agent would have to be rescued, or some other emergency would come to pass before Kaaras could even think of something he wanted to do for himself. 

Well. That simply wouldn’t do, Dorian decided as he stared up at the exhausted man. He snapped his book shut, filed away his notes, and then headed up the stairs to have a quick word with Leliana. After all, if he had noticed how drained the Inquisitor had become, Leliana was sure to have noticed as well, and he knew he would have an ally in her to keep everyone else as far away from the Inquisitor for as long as possible. 

With a sharp nod and a raised eyebrow that said, “What took you so long?” Leliana turned back to work, making sure that Skyhold would keep running as the Inquisitor would be forced into taking a vacation from his duties. 

“Amatus?” Dorian asked when Kaaras continued frowning down at the paper in front of him even as the Tevinter stood in front of him. The Inquisitor startled. 

“Sorry! Do you need something?” 

“As a matter of fact, I do. Come with me, will you?” Dorian said before turning and heading back down the tower, not even bothering to look back to see if Kaaras was following. The hurried shuffling of papers and familiar heavy steps trailing behind were answer enough, and some part of Dorian couldn’t help feeling pleased that the Inquisitor, a man upon whom the entire world relied for its safety, was scrambling after him after but a few words. It was an outrageous power—he couldn’t help understanding why exactly Mother Giselle was so concerned—but it was one that no spell could duplicate and one that he had never intended to gain and certainly wouldn’t abuse. But knowing that it was a power he had at his fingertips, it gave him a rush with heightened senses and sharpened thoughts in a way similar to taking a lyrium potion. 

It wasn’t until the doors of Kaaras’s chambers were firmly shut behind them that either of them spoke up. 

“Dorian, is something wrong? What do you need?” he asked, obviously worried, and Dorian shook his head as he fought between a smile for his lover’s concern and a sigh at the man’s never-ending concern for everyone aside from himself. 

“As a matter of fact, there is something quite wrong. You are obviously exhausted, and yet you’re asking after me. Now, you sit, get comfortable, even put on that terrible beige ensemble if you like and tell me about what I can do for you for once.” 

“I—what?” 

The Tal Vashoth, who during the walk to his rooms had been concerned that he had somehow angered his lover or that there was some major issue he was about to have to contend with, was baffled, and his exhaustion made him a little slow on the uptake. 

“Amatus. You’ve been working yourself half to death, and while I am entirely aware of how important your job is, it matters little if you work so hard that you can hardly stand,” he explained more. He headed to the sofa and beckoned Kaaras to follow. “Now, I’ve informed Leliana that you will be off-duty and are not to be disturbed until I’ve decided that you have become sufficiently rejuvenated under my most attentive care. So, come, tell me what it is you wish to do and how you would like to spend this vacation I have arranged.” 

“I, um. What did you have in mind?” he asked, and Dorian rolled his eyes, smirking just a little as he noticed color creeping across the man’s greyish skin. 

“What I have in mind is fulfilling your every whim,” he said, letting his voice drop just a little lower for the sake of watching that color burn its way up to the pointed tips of Kaaras’s ears. Dorian was certain he’d never get tired of seeing the man trying to hide how flustered he felt at his flirtations. Kaaras swallowed and glanced away, leaving Dorian smirking as he prompted again, “Well?” 

“Will you come here?” Kaaras asked, adjusting himself to face Dorian better and opening his arms up in beckoning. Dorian complied without a word, crawling across his lover’s lap to rest against his chest in their usual way. Well, usually they were long-since naked by this point, and probably in bed since Dorian would tend to complain about the cold elsewise, but no matter. “Can I touch your hair?” 

“You may,” Dorian replied, deciding not to bother with reminding Kaaras that, of all days, the man especially had a free pass to do as he wanted today. Then, once one of Kaaras’s hands started threading through Dorian’s hair, he spoke up again. “Your hair is rather more unkempt than usual today, you know.” 

“Should I fix it?” 

“Only if you want,” he replied, and Kaaras’s hands stuttered uncertainly as he was torn between fixing his hair and not wanting at all to move from where he was. “Or I could fix it for you.” 

“Do you want to?” 

This time, Dorian did sigh before propping himself up to look at Kaaras properly. 

“Amatus, I understand that you are endlessly attentive and enjoy doing things for others, but for a while, I want you to just think about what _you_ want.” 

Kaaras hummed and let his head drop back to stare at the ceiling, and Dorian was left wondering if the man possessed a single selfish bone in his body. Maker take him, it seemed impossible for a man to have such a difficult time thinking of something he wanted, but then Kaaras finally spoke up. 

“I just want to stay like this for a while. It’s nice, having you close,” he murmured, and Dorian nodded and settled back against Kaaras. He had to agree, it was very nice. They lay there in silence for a while, simply enjoying one another’s company and warmth, but eventually Kaaras spoke up again. “Dorian?” 

“Hm?” 

“Will you talk about something? I just want to hear your voice,” Kaaras admitted, and Dorian tried to ignore the warmth that he felt spread inside him. 

“Hmm… What would you like to hear about, then? Shall I read something?” 

“If you want.” 

“But…?” 

“I’d rather hear about you… What was school in Tevinter like for you? What was the first spell you cast?” 

Dorian chuckled and leaned into Kaaras’s warm hand a little, pleased that the man preferred to hear about him rather than the words from some book. 

“My first spell? Well, it wasn’t intentional, but I’d snuck into my father’s library in the middle of the night to pinch a book from his shelves—some fanciful book about Tevinter heroes, not entirely educational, but it was an early edition of a widely-known book. I’d expected him to be asleep, but what I didn’t expect was my mother standing at the door when I went to make off with my stolen treasure. She conjured some fire to figure out who was scurrying about the library, and the suddenness of it, combined with the feel of magic at my back surprised me so much that I put out her conjured flame with a blast of cold. It also froze the floors and I went sliding clear passed her and into the next room,” Dorian recalled, and Kaaras smiled, trying to imagine a much younger Dorian with the same love of books. 

“What happened then? Did you get away?” 

“For the night, yes. Mother was so pleased that my magic had manifested that she didn’t mind the puddle the ice left behind—it probably helped that it was in my father’s study and not hers. Although I stayed up so late reading that night that I couldn’t sit through my lessons the next day and my nanny was quite cross. 

“As for schooling in Tevinter, I must say it’s quite different from the Circles here. Templars, for one, are toothless. They merely stand about looking like finely-polished statues rather than protectors of the masses as they are in the south. The Circle of Vyrantium is the second oldest Circle in Tevinter, and is argued—by its own members, mind you—to be the best. Certainly it is the most picturesque. 

“It’s built into the cliff side of the Vyrantium Falls, the waterfalls that pour out into the Nocen Sea. The top of the tower bridges over the top of the waterfall in an arch, so if you climb to the very top and look outside, you can see for miles all around, both the land and the sea. All of the windows are magically warded to keep out moisture in order to preserve the books, and the architectural historians of the Circle of Vyrantium claim that the idea for the famous and far-reaching aqueducts came from the construction of the Vyrantium circle.” 

“Must be quite the sight,” Kaaras said, trying not to sound too sad. It really must have been beautiful, but he couldn’t help wondering if he could have seen it himself. He had no idea knowing how his Karataam had traveled from Qunandar. It was unlikely that they would have passed through the center of the Imperium, but he had no way of knowing for sure. He wondered just how much more of the world he could have seen had it not been for the thread in his eyelids. 

“Are you alright, Amatus?” Dorian asked when Kaaras had been quiet for too long, running his hand over the Tal Vashoth’s emerging beard as he propped himself up to look at the man properly. 

“I’m fine” was on the tip of Kaaras’s tongue, but he stopped himself and sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, though, he was smiling truthfully, running his thumb over his lover’s cheekbone. 

“I just wondered what my life would have been like if I’d been born without magic, but it doesn’t matter. I’m here with you. Whatever else has happened, it’s all worth it to be with you right now.” 

If anyone else had said something so syrupy, Dorian would’ve scoffed or rolled his eyes, thinking them a fool, but as it was, Dorian could’ve sworn his insides turned to mush. 

“The things you say,” he muttered before kissing Kaaras, unable to come up with any other response. When they broke apart moments later, Kaaras continued feathering kisses along Dorian’s hairline and jaw, humming happily to himself. 

“Kaaras, if you continue that, I’ll forget all about my mission of helping you relax and instead start giving you orders,” he scolded (sort of) when Kaaras moved to start trailing kisses on Dorian’s neck. Kaaras just hummed in response, continuing as if Dorian had said nothing at all, and Dorian sighed. “Amatus, really. Would you not prefer I do this for you?” he asked, even as he melted deeper into every little touch. 

“You can if you want,” Kaaras mumbled against Dorian’s chin, and the mage rolled his eyes. 

“Come now. What is it that _you_ want?” 

“To touch you everywhere. Kiss you everywhere. Do everything you like. Make you feel how much I love you.” 

Dorian groaned as heat pooled both in the center of his chest and lower. Maker, but he was weak to the man. How could he refuse? He sat up, pulling away from Kaaras for the moment to start pulling at the clasps of his robes, knowing from experience that it would take far too long for his liking if he were to leave it to Kaaras—not because the man couldn’t figure out the complicated outfit, but because he enjoyed taking his time. It was sweet, in a way, but Dorian was simply used to trysts, fast and hard, afraid of getting caught or lingering too long. 

Kaaras, however, endeavored to savor every single moment, every single touch as long as possible. Even now, his hands caught Dorian’s preventing the layers of buckles and cloth from falling away too quickly. 

“Can I?” Kaaras asked, and Dorian suppressed a sigh but nodded moved his hands so that Kaaras would be able to undress him instead. And, as usual, Kaaras took his blighted time, turning each unclasping into a lingering caress and each fallen strap into a tender touch that left Dorian aching before anything had even begun. 

“Must you go so slowly?” he whined when Kaaras planted kisses on his fingertips as he slowly worked off the glove he’d so achingly slowly unbuckled. 

“Do you not like it?” Kaaras looked up at Dorian, genuinely concerned, and the mage couldn’t help a sigh. 

“Do as you please.” 

Kaaras studied Dorian’s expression for a moment, and then smiled just a little, pressing a whisper of a kiss against Dorian’s knuckles. 

“I love you, Dorian.” Kaaras tugged the glove off a little more, letting his fingertips trail lightly against the forearm slowly being exposed, leaving goosebumps in their wake. “Every moment I have with you, I wish I could make last forever.” The combination of Kaaras’s deep voice and breath grazing his skin made a shiver go down Dorian’s spine. “I savor every second I can touch you.” 

Finally, _finally_ , the glove was pulled off, and Kaaras trailed his lips down Dorian’s forearm behind it. “I have no words for how important you are to me,” he murmured against Dorian’s wrist. “All I know how to do is to show you how much I cherish you.” Qunari teeth dragged along the Altus’s tendons, making Dorian bite his lip to withhold a groan of want. “I’ll do no less than give you all of the affection I can.” Kaaras bit Dorian’s fingertips lightly, making him sigh again. Maker, if desire alone could cast an immolate spell, Dorian would be burning from the inside out. 

“I want to memorize every inch of you,” he continued before sliding his tongue along the side of Dorian’s index finger, then taking it into his mouth, savoring it like it were the most delectable thing to ever touch his tongue. Dorian breathed heavily, feeling his gut burning with want as Kaaras’s eyes met his. 

Kaaras took a deep, slow breath as he continued slowly tasting Dorian’s fingers. As much as he loved taking his time, exploring every inch of Dorian and watching the man become heated with both the feeling of being desired and being loved, it was difficult to keep his own composure. If ever there were a desire demon in the flesh, it would have to be the Tevinter Altus who always smelled of spice and vanilla, tasted of sea salt and jasmine, and looked like a man who could seduce a god with a single glance. 

Still, Kaaras forced himself to calm, to move slowly and make each touch as tender as possible, as though it would somehow soothe the raw, overwhelming feelings that filled him to bursting. Words weren’t his strong suit, and expressing his thoughts and feelings was even less so, but for Dorian, he would do anything. So he forced his own aching want to the back of his mind and focused instead on every little reaction Dorian gave, noting every serrated breath and aborted moan. 

He was determined to make Dorian feel better than ever before, so he had to go slowly, take his time, let it build up until he couldn’t stand it any longer. 

Each bit of clothing fell away just as slowly as Dorian’s gloves, and by the time he was in only his silk smallclothes, the Tevinter felt like he would perish from want. His hands dug into Kaaras’s shoulders, nails biting in a way that was likely painful, but he couldn’t restrain himself any other way, and Maker the man deserved some sort of punishment for taking so bloody long just to get him naked. 

But of course Kaaras took longest of all ridding Dorian of that last bit of cloth. 

Forget Herald of Andraste, the damnable Tal Vashoth was a demon, pure, absolute, _blissful_ evil. 

Calloused hands grazed the waistband as lips meandered over Dorian’s abdomen, never going quite low enough to make use of his mouth in a more immediately satisfying way, and never going high enough for Dorian to capture those lips with his own. It was absolutely maddening. 

In fact, Dorian was already a writhing, moaning mess and he hadn’t even been touched yet. Even so, he couldn’t quite muster up the will to complain since every time he met Kaaras’s eyes, he was so completely overwhelmed by the emotion in those grey eyes that he couldn’t quite find any words to say. 

“When I first met you, I could hardly take my eyes off of you,” Kaaras mumbled against Dorian’s ribs, making Dorian groan. Maker, he was so wound up that the man’s rumbling voice and the vibrations from his chest could almost do him in. “You wield magic like I’ve never seen,” Kaaras nuzzled against the bottom of Dorian’s breastbone as he tried to think of words to describe the sight. “I never thought that so much power could also be so beautiful.” 

Dorian tried to smirk and give some witty comment, but then one of Kaaras’s hands slid behind his back and up his spine to massage at the base of his skull, and his comment came out as a needy moan. 

“The way you look when you use magic is even more mesmerizing.” Kaaras’s hand moved to massage Dorian’s shoulder as his other hand continued softly gliding along just the edge of Dorian’s frustratingly still-present smalls. “It’s not just that you enjoy it, but your entire being seems to burn more brightly when you cast, like I can see a glimpse of how powerful and brilliant your very soul is.” 

Kaaras groaned lowly as his hands gripped Dorian just a little more roughly, making Dorian gasp. “I can hardly take my eyes off of you,” he said, finally tugging Dorian’s smallclothes down just an inch, making the Altus whimper when Kaaras’s lips grazed the newly-exposed skin. This was it for him. He was going to die from the unending affection and compliments being showered upon him. Not the worst way to go, admittedly, but a little bit of satisfaction before passing into the Fade would be nice. Dorian tugged at Kaaras’s shoulders, wordlessly begging him to _hurry up already_. Still, Kaaras was undeterred. 

“Your strength of will is even more spectacular,” Kaaras continued, gentling his hands again as he took a deep breath. It was incredible the things that Dorian could do to him. All notion of self-control, a control that he had been tempering for years, was nearly thrown out the window. Still, he tried to focus, thinking about his feelings for Dorian and not the heat that was aching just from touching the Tevinter. 

“You fight so fiercely for what you believe, not just in battle.” Kisses trailed on Dorian’s hip, over the silk and down the top of his thigh, making Dorian’s toes curling and hips squirming for want of more friction even as his heart felt like it was melting further with the oh-so gentle caresses. 

“When you are unreserved with your feelings, when you are vulnerable and open, it’s awe-inspiring,” Kaaras breathed, remembering the overwhelming fierceness of Dorian’s emotions when the man first found out about Kaaras’s plan to meet with the Qunari on the Storm Coast. He always knew that the pool of Dorian’s emotions went deep, but until that moment, Kaaras didn’t realize that Dorian’s feelings for _him_ also went so deeply. When he realized it, after Dorian had slammed the door behind him, Kaaras had nearly choked, overcome by both fear and joy. Fear that he had just irreparably destroyed the one thing that meant most to him in the world, and joy that it had meant just as much to Dorian as it did to him. 

“You’re the bravest man I’ve ever known.” Finally, both of Kaaras’s hands started tugging down the last bit of Dorian’s clothing, kisses trailing in the silk’s wake. “You are the most caring person I’ve ever met,” Kaaras said once Dorian was as naked physically as he was emotionally, almost crying with relief and want and overwhelming emotion. 

“I love every single part of you, body and soul, more than I have words to tell you.” 

Kaaras captured Dorian’s mouth with his own finally silencing Dorian’s needy, wanting sounds, and Dorian almost felt like he was going to be swallowed whole with the fierceness of the kiss even as Kaaras’s hands held him by the hips so tenderly he feared he would cry. What a mess Kaaras had made of him. 

“I feel like I could die from how much I want you, Dorian.” 

“Then take me already,” Dorian meant to demand, but it came out as a desperate beg, but finally, finally Kaaras capitulated, and they both cried out in relief. There was no control left in Kaaras anymore, and both met their ends quickly and roughly, leaving their chests heaving and limbs tangled together as they collapsed back against the couch, boneless. 

As Kaaras tried to catch his breath, he placed kisses on Dorian’s head and neck again, still adoring the man with all the affection he could muster. 

“Kadan,” he mumbled against the back of Dorian’s neck, and Dorian summoned all the energy he could to look up at his horned lover. 

“Hm?” he asked with a tilted head, not quite able to articulate any better just yet. 

“Qunlat. My heart,” Kaaras answered the unspoken question, and Dorian felt all of the deep, raw, burning emotions build up in him again as Kaaras smiled down at him like Dorian was the most wonderful thing to ever exist. 

Dorian just managed to choke back a sob of emotion and gave Kaaras a watery smile in return. 

Maker. Of all the things he had expected to find when he came to the South, Kaaras and everything between them certainly did not number among them. It was ridiculous and foolhardy and foolish and impossible, but Dorian was completely head-over-heels in love with his Amatus, even if he couldn’t quite say it aloud just yet. It was fine, though, because Kaaras said it enough for the both of them as he mumbled it between clumsy, tired kisses. 


	2. Safe and Silk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaaras is ever-thoughtful, but Dorian tries to force the man into being just a little selfish for once. They end up in a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Dorian gave a groaning protest when he felt Kaaras move beneath him. They were on the couch, still messy with their sweat only just starting to dry, and Dorian had no intention of moving until he couldn’t stand the cold any longer. Alas, Kaaras had other plans as he sat up and slid off the couch, carrying Dorian with him when the human made it clear he had no intention of using any of his own muscles for the time being. Kaaras just chuckled happily as he carried Dorian to the bed, tucking him into the Orlesian silk sheets and thick down blankets. Dorian hummed contentedly for a moment until he realized that the bed was a completely different one from when he had last been in the Inquisitor’s quarters nearly two weeks ago.

“You got a different bed?” he asked, looking over at Kaaras who was waving a small conjured flame over the water basin to heat it up more quickly. The Tal Vashoth glanced over, smiling to himself just a little at the sight of Dorian lounging under the covers of his bed—as sight that he would never get tired of—and nodded. “But I thought you liked that Marcher bed?” Dorian prodded when it seemed Kaaras wasn’t going to say anything else.

“I did.”

“But you replaced it because…”

“Because you had a hard time sleeping in it and liked the beds at the Winter Palace better,” Kaaras replied, looking over at him with a raised eyebrow, like it was obvious.

_Maker take this man._

“Do you not like it? I had Josephine pick it since I had no idea about fabrics. She said this one would be best,” the Tal Vashoth worried when Dorian said nothing for a moment too long

“I suppose they’ll do. Certainly not as rough on my skin as those Marcher sheets were,” he assured, and Kaaras smiled brightly.

“I’m glad you like them.”

“I wouldn’t go _that_ far. They’re still Orlesian, after all,” he scoffed, and Kaaras snorted, rolling his eyes even as he wore a fond smile. Dorian was still confounded. Kaaras really went through all the trouble of replacing his bed, a bed he had obviously quite liked, just for Dorian on the nights here and there that they could spend together when in Skyhold. Surely no man could actually be that thoughtful all the time.

 _Maker_.

Finally satisfied that the water was warm enough for Dorian’s standards, Kaaras wetted a cloth and tossed it to Dorian before cleaning himself up. “You said that at home your bed was softer, and you like silk better than cotton. If you like it, I can have Josephine arrange for another for your room, if you want,” Kaaras suggested, and Dorian covered his face.

“No, that’s quite alright. I end up sleeping in the library more often than not when I’m here anyhow,” he rejected quickly. The Inquisitor had done far too much already. Dorian was the one who was supposed to be looking after him, after all.

Slowly, a smirk spread across Dorian’s lips.

“You know, there is something not quite right about this bed,” he commented, looking at the bedding before glancing at Kaaras again.

“What is it?”

“It hasn’t been properly broken in. What do you say we fix that?” he suggested, enjoying watching color spread across Kaaras’s neck and shoulders. The man was naked and cleaning up from the last round, but still blushed at Dorian’s proposition. Adorable.

“Another round, then?” Kaaras asked, laughing just a little as he tossed away the rag and headed towards the bed.

“It seems a waste not to put this new bed to good use.”

Kaaras laughed. “Can I touch you, then?”

“Of course,” Dorian replied, melting against Kaaras’s warm hands. Maker, what a lovely sensation it was to feel Kaaras’s warm rough hands and the smooth, cool silk both caressing his still-sensitive skin. Oh, how he had missed sleeping on silk.

Before Kaaras’s hands could completely make Dorian lose himself, however, he mentally shook himself. He was supposed to be taking care of Kaaras, not the other way around. (He declined to acknowledge that he had already failed in that regard during their previous round.) So Dorian caught Kaaras’s wandering hands before rolling them over, sitting on his lover’s abdomen as he pinned his hands to the mattress below. It was silly, of course, since Kaaras could easily break Dorian’s hold, but the Tal Vashoth didn’t move at all, happy to let Dorian to do as he pleased.

“You may recall, Amatus,” Dorian said as he ducked down to trail kisses against Kaaras’s neck. Large hands flexed beneath Dorian’s, trying to restrain himself from breaking Dorian’s hold, but sweet Andraste did he ever want to touch the other mage. Of course, Kaaras always wanted to touch Dorian, but it was especially difficult to restrain himself in their current situation. “That I am supposed to be taking care of you,” Dorian finished with a little bite to Kaaras’s earlobe, and what a lovely sound the larger man made at that.

“Alright,” Kaaras agreed, even if his hands were still clinched beneath Dorian’s.

“Any special requests? Unfulfilled desires? Intriguing whims?” the mage prodded, still trailing kisses here and there across Kaaras’s neck and shoulders.

“Whatever you like,” Kaaras replied. He could already feel his breath getting heavier under the attention from Dorian.

“That could be dangerous, you know. What if I wanted you to steal Cullen’s armor and put it on for a bit of fun?”

Kaaras gave a breathy laugh. “I don’t think it would fit me.”

“That’s a fair point.”

“I could always have some made, if you wanted,” Kaaras suggested, and Dorian sighed, tapping his forehead against the center of Kaaras’s chest for a moment as he collected himself.

“What I want,” Dorian started, punctuating each word with a kiss as he made a direct line down his lover’s torso, “Is for you to tell me what you want.” Dorian stopped and looked up at Kaaras as his lips lingered just below the man’s belly button. “What is it you most enjoy? What have you always wanted to do? I know you’ve experience. There must be something that strikes your fancy.”

“Well, sure, but the last before you was… I don’t know. Years ago.”

“Years? Truly?” Dorian asked, wondering just how many years it had been. Something in Dorian was slightly pleased that Kaaras had broken his chastity with him.

“Well, I was almost killed last time, so I just sort of avoided it after that,” he explained, and Dorian sat up suddenly, surprised.

“Killed? Maker! What sort of things were you getting up to?” he asked, but Kaaras shook his head.

“Not like that. It was just after, the woman pulled a knife on me,” he explained. Dorian raised an eyebrow at that, having had no idea the man was also interested in women, but he didn’t comment on it.

“Were you really that bad?” he asked, only half joking. Sure, in Dorian’s experience Kaaras was a most attentive lover, but he supposed that everyone had their off days.

“No,” Kaaras laughed, and then paused. “Well, at least I hope not, but it was because her sister had been killed by a Qunari in Kirkwall,” he explained.

Dorian nodded. That made more sense. “I promise not to pull a knife on you,” he replied before smirking and kissing Kaaras’s stomach again. “Unless you really want me to.”

Kaaras laughed. “I’m fine without, thanks.”

“Ah, well. Anything else? Surely in the years you’ve gone without, you’ve had quite the imagination,” Dorian prodded, and grinned when he saw Kaaras blush just a little. “Yes, see? There we go! Now tell me.”

Kaaras resisted the urge to move his hands to rub at his face, but still glanced away from Dorian. “Lace.”

“Lace?” Dorian repeated, and Kaaras nodded, looking back at his lover. Dorian smiled and kissed across Kaaras’s hip. “Anything in particular with it?”

“Wearing it.”

“Me? Or you?” Dorian asked, and Kaaras considered.

“Either,” he replied, and Dorian was a little surprised, but hid a smile with more kisses as he trailed back up to Kaaras’s neck, showering with attention.

“I could just picture you wearing some black lace underclothes while in your armor, sitting on your throne,” Dorian considered, deciding that he enjoyed that mental picture far too much to pass up. He’d definitely have to hire a tailor. He felt more than heard Kaaras groan with want beneath him. “I’m sure I could arrange something,” Dorian promised as he finally pulled his hands from Kaaras’s wrists to trail them elsewhere, but Kaaras obediently left his hands where they lay.

Dorian ran his hands over Kaaras’s sides and bit along the man’s collarbone, smiling to himself as he did. “Surely you must have more ideas than just that,” he prodded.

“Food—well, desserts. Chocolate,” Kaaras supplied more easily this time, and Dorian captured the man’s lips with his own, kissing him deeply as a reward. The Tevinter was starting to regret having not done this sooner. Seeing Kaaras get riled up was an exquisite sort of pleasure.

“And what would you like to do with it?” Dorian asked once he pulled back, meeting his eyes, and this time Kaaras didn’t look away.

“Eat it off you,” he replied, lifting a hand to touch Dorian, forgetting without the reminder of the mage’s hands against his wrists, but Dorian quickly caught it and pinned it down again, smirking.

“So long as there’s a hot bath waiting after, certainly,” Dorian agreed, and Kaaras smiled up at him like he was the light of his life. Maker, it was far too easy to please the man. “Any other long-awaited fantasies I can help fulfill?” he asked, dipping back down to kiss along Kaaras’s hairline.

Kaaras considered for a while, leaning into each of Dorian’s affections. “Not long-awaited ones, no,” he replied, which had Dorian looking at him again with a raised eyebrow.

“But…?”

“But there is one specific to you,” he said with eyes boring into Dorian with a well of emotion and desire. It nearly knocked the breath out of Dorian to be looked at like that.

“Tell me.”

“Your magic. I love watching you as you cast. And I want to feel it,” he confessed, and Dorian felt almost unbearably pleased. The man certainly knew how to stroke a person’s ego, among other things.

Dorian sat back and raised his hands, feeling his own body heat up as Kaaras watched him with rapt attention. Then he called on the Fade, pulling tendrils of power from thin air to coalesce at the tips of his fingers. The air itself around his hands seemed to glow a pale blue, and he could feel Kaaras’s breath catch in his throat. Dorian reached down and touched the side of Kaaras’s neck with just the tip of his finger, letting Kaaras feel the thrumming power of the Fade there along with the cold manifested from the magic.

Kaaras shuddered from more than just the cold and his eyes fluttered shut as he leaned into the caress. When they opened again, Dorian could hardly see the rim of grey for how large and dark his pupils were.

“Dorian, let me touch you,” Kaaras said, voice even deeper than normal and edged with desperation. The sound sent a shiver down Dorian’s spine as well, but he smiled.

“Don’t move,” Dorian commanded instead, and Kaaras whimpered, actually whimpered, in response but followed the order anyway.

This time Dorian trailed all his fingertips in the same way down Kaaras’s neck to the top of his chest, and Kaaras shivered again, breathing heavier already as he warred with himself to keep still.

“Dorian,” he begged again, and Dorian pulled a little more power to his hands, letting it pool in his palms as well as he scratched his nails down Kaaras’s chest. The Tal Vashoth took a sharp breath and fisted the sheets in his hands as he struggled to move. Dorian paused for a moment to allow Kaaras to get his bearings. “Dorian. Kadan. Please, please let me touch you,” he pleaded.

 _Sweet Maker_. Dorian was quite certain he’d never felt more powerful than he did at that moment. It was an incredible feeling to make his ever in-control and stoic lover lose composure after just a few touches and a bit of magic. Oh, he was certainly going to enjoy this.

“And if I were to let you touch me,” Dorian pondered aloud as he scratched along Kaaras’s sides with the Fade still thrumming in his hands, “what would you do?”

“Anything. Anything you want,” Kaaras responded immediately. Dorian let a little more cold leak out from his hands, frosting over some of the hair on Kaaras’s chest. The man’s breathing stuttered and Dorian could feel the man moving his legs beneath the covers behind him, digging even his toes into the silk to try to keep control of himself.

“What would you _want_ to do, Amatus,” Dorian asked lowly, a warning hidden in the velvet of his voice, and Kaaras felt like he was drowning in his own desire.

“I want to feel your hips. Your back. Feel every muscle as you move,” he said as Dorian’s hands moved to trail over Kaaras’s shoulders and down his arms. “I want to hold against me. Feel your breath against my neck.” Dorian slid his hands up the back of Kaaras’s neck, and Kaaras keened as his back arched. “ _Dorian_ ,” he whimpered.

“That’s all? You just want to hold me?”

“ _No_.”

“Then what else?”

“I-I want to flip over and press you back against the mattress and leave love bites all over you.”

“What else?” Dorian breathed, falling into his own game a little too far, but Maker, the way Kaaras was looking at him was enough to leave him a quivering pool of desire as it was.

“I want— _Dorian_ ,” he whined again when cold, thrumming fingertips pressed against his throat.

“What do you want?”

“I want you, Dorian! Ack—”

Dorian scratched down Kaaras’s neck again, and his lover shuddered and his hands clawed at the blankets more. Kaaras felt like he would go mad if he couldn’t get his hands on Dorian’s body.

“Sweet—Dorian, please I—I want you. I want to taste you and suck you until you’re and inch from release while I stretch you and then I want to be inside you and press you against the sheets and rock against you until neither of us can stand it. I want to feel your hands and your magic clawing against my sides and my back and I want to hear you moaning and begging. I want to make you feel what you’re doing to me right now. Please, Dorian,” he begged again, and Dorian sat up just a little, smirking.

“Then hurry up already.”

Suddenly, Dorian found himself looking up at the ceiling with Kaaras leaving sloppy kisses down his chest and huge, warm hands tucked beneath his back. Dorian’s head fell back as Kaaras’s lips met their destination, and Dorian already knew that it wouldn’t take long for Kaaras to follow through on the first part of his desires since Dorian was still so sensitive from earlier.

“Amatus,” he groaned struggling not to rock into the heat of the man’s mouth. Instead, he dug his fingers into Kaaras’s back, making the man shiver and groan around him. “Maker, Amatus.”

Kaaras just hummed in response, making Dorian shiver and grip Kaaras’s shoulders for dear life. He took a steadying breath and then pulled on the Fade again.

Kaaras quickly pulled away from Dorian and pressed his face against his thigh instead, giving a loud groan that trailed off into a whimper as electricity pulsed around Dorian’s fingertips. He panted against his lover’s thigh, struggling to get control of himself as he bit and kissed along the sensitive skin.

“Dorian. _Dorian_ ,” he whimpered and the mage cut off his magic in response, looking at Kaaras worriedly.

“Alright, Amatus?”

Kaaras didn’t say anything but nodded against his thigh, trying to catch his breath now that he had a moment.

“Too good,” he managed eventually. “I swear you must be a demon. I love you. Maker, I love you Dorian.”

Dorian felt himself choke up a little as he met Kaaras’s eyes before the horned man returned to pressing kisses along his hip.

“More?” Dorian asked, pulling a hand away from Kaaras’s shoulder to call power to it again.

“ _Please_ ,” Kaaras begged, and Dorian gladly obliged, reveling in Kaaras’s resulting moan and watching his lover’s muscles twitch and tremble from both pleasure and electricity.

“I love you. Sweet Maker, I love you.” Kaaras gasped before returning to using his mouth in other ways.

“Amatus. Hurry,” Dorian begged a few moments later, punctuating it with a slightly stronger pulse of electricity, and Kaaras pulled away again, panting. He nodded towards the nightstand nearby.

“Oil,” he said and Dorian pulled a hand from Kaaras’s shoulder to dig through the drawer and grab a vial. Kaaras took the change to take a few deep breaths to try to calm his frantic desire.

Dorian passed him the vial and he poured it liberally on his hands, returning to his earlier work once he was satisfied, stretching Dorian with one hand as he coated himself with his other—purposefully concentrating on not gripping himself too hard or moving too quickly because he knew that with Dorian’s magic pulsing against his shoulders and back, it wasn’t going to take much to meet a rushed end.

“Enough, just hurry up,” Dorian ordered soon after, scratching as his lover’s shoulders, and Kaaras obliged, kissing his way up Dorian’s torso as he lined himself up. Then he sunk against Dorian, and paused waiting a moment as they both adjusted and caught their breath, but it wasn’t long before Dorian moved his hips and sent sparks pulsing along Kaaras’s side, making the larger man gasp and then let out a trembling breath.

“Dorian,” he gasped, starting a rhythm that Dorian met every time. “Dorian. Dorian,” he repeated, again and again as he stared down at his lover, shaking and sweating and trembling. Those eyes were impossibly dark, and heated, like they would consume Dorian at any moment.

Dorian scratched at the back of Kaaras’s neck, sending out another pulse of electricity as he pulled his lover closer, capturing his lips. Kaaras gave a sound that was a cross of a sob and a moan as he met Dorian’s lips, and he reached between them with a slick hand to try to push Dorian over the edge.

Rather quickly, it worked, leaving Dorian a gasping trembling mess, and he couldn’t quite control his magic, sending sparks in uneven waves across Kaaras’s back. He went ridged as he released, gasping for air until Dorian’s magic suddenly cut off, and he nearly collapsed on top of his panting lover.

It took a few moments, but eventually Kaaras was able to roll himself away, but pulled Dorian tight to his side as he did, pressing kisses into the man’s mussed hair.

“I love you,” Kaaras repeated. “You’re amazing. I love you so much, Dorian,” he said, nuzzling his lover as he thought about what just happened. He had no words. He’d always found Dorian incredibly attractive when he was casting, but he’d never imagined it would be so intense.

Dorian threw an arm across Kaaras’s waist, feeling much the same, but with the addition of coming down from the high of feeling so powerful. Andraste’s Ass, that was fantastic. Why hadn’t he thought of it sooner? Well, aside from the fact that most of his previous partners weren’t quite trustworthy enough to pull such an act. Likely it would’ve gotten him a fireball to the face.

Something in Dorian warmed deeply thinking about it. Maker, how much did Kaaras trust him to let him do that? Especially if he stopped having sex before because some woman pulled a knife on him!

Dorian pulled himself a little closer to his lover’s side as he thought about it.

Somehow, in the midst of fulfilling Kaaras’s fantasies, it still felt like Dorian was the one getting cared for.

“Think we’ve broken in the bed enough?” Kaaras asked after a while, and Dorian couldn’t help a chuckle.

“For now, perhaps. I think I’d need a lyrium potion before doing that again,” he replied, and Kaaras hummed in agreement, holding Dorian a little tighter.

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this story in my WIP folder for this series for literal years. I intended to write more chapters, and still may eventually, but I figured I might as well post it and let others enjoy it rather than leave it to keep collecting dust for eternity.


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